1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-level, gravity feed package or item merchandising machine and more specifically to an alternator mechanism for use with such a machine. The alternator mechanism alternately feeds soft drink cans or the like from two side by side inclined rows of articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is designed for use in conjunction with dispensing machines of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,276,624, issued Oct. 4, 1966, and 3,869,064, issued Mar. 4, 1975, both invented by Harry R. Payne. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference. These prior patents describe a dispensing machine having a plurality of spaced vertically disposed slanting shelves and a rotary receiver at the lower end of each of the shelves. The rotary receiver or escrow cradle provides for the transfer of one item, such as a soft drink can or bottle, from one of the shelves to a tray, whereupon the item will slide into a consumer accessible location. Alternately, the tray itself could be directly accessible. After the consumer has placed his money in the machine, a lockout mechanism ensures that he can only operate one rotary receiver or cradle and therefore only gets one soft drink for his deposited money. A depressable leg in each of the rotary receivers prevents the consumer from rotating a receiver unless the leg is depressed by a soft drink can in that receiver. This avoids the undesirable situation of the consumer rotating an empty cradle and thereby losing his money.
The prior art further includes patents which disclose dispensing machines having a plurality of side by side inclined rows of articles, wherein gravity is used to feed the articles towards the lower end of a slanted shelve. At the lower end of each of the inclined rows is a gate member, which is normally in a blocking position and which changes momentarily to a releasing position when a coin is inserted in the machine and the appropriate selector button is pushed. When the gate member shifts into the releasing position a single article is dispensed from the inclined row associated with that particular gate member. Instead of using a gate member which shifts between a blocking and releasing position, some machines use a fixed gate member in conjunction with a mechanism for lifting an article or otherwise allowing the article to get around the fixed gate member. Regardless of whether the gate member is fixed or movable, the arrangement often includes a mechanism for alternately feeding articles from the side by side inclined rows.
Among prior art U.S. Pat. Nos., Krakauer et al 3,055,544, Graven 3,325,049, DeShan 3,537,330, Gore 3,627,172, and O'Neal 3,737,070 disclose dispensing machines having a plurality of side by side inclined rows of articles with alternate feeding mechanisms. However, none of these patents discloses an alternator dispensing mechanism especially suitable for use with the rotary receiver or escrow cradle of the above-mentioned Payne patents.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved alternator mechanism which alternately releases articles from a plurality of side by side inclined rows.
A further object of this invention is to provide an escrow cradle which can alternately be fed from one of a plurality of side by side rows of inclined articles.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an alternator mechanism which is simply and effectively actuated by the rotation of an escrow cradle.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an alternator mechanism wherein the weight of articles in the inclined rows is used to assist the shifting of the alternator mechanism.